Full Coverage

Lawtell Train Derailment 2013

Neighbors in the Lawtell area are complaining that their once-muddy bayou is now full of white foam, and they are concerned that the residue from last month's train derailment here will continue to plague the community for a long time. KATC TV-3's Allison Bourne-Vanneck talks to residents and St. Landry Parish officials about the aftermath of the derailment that forced many from their homes for several days.

They're back in their homes, but those who were evacuated because of Sunday's train derailment in Lawtell still have questions. From air to water quality, it was all addressed at a town hall meeting not too far from the derailment site.

"Don't be critical of what we tried to do to help you. We all tried. We all did our very best. How many times are we exposed to a situation like this? Not very often," said St. Landry Sheriff Bobby Guidroz.

A packed house in the cafeteria of a Lawtell church, full of residents concerned the air and water quality have been jeopardized since the derailment.

"They're just going around telling us this is what spilled, but not knowing in the long run, 10 years from now, what could occur to the children and the citizens of my area," said resident Lisa Sostand.

But after days of testing the Department of Health and Hospitals, and the Department of Environmental Quality insist the air is clean. The water, however, is a work in progress.

"What I saw today in the bayou, in the ditches, is vastly reduced from what we saw when it was initially discovered. Vastly reduced," said Paul Miller with DEQ.

DEQ says there are no long term concerns about the water and they, along with DHH, will continue to monitor the situation long after clean-up is complete.

"We were very fortunate, very blessed, that we didn't have the most toxic chemicals released," said Miller. "We were very fortunate that we never saw anything from the air monitoring that reflected any kind of an issue."

Union Pacific says the majority of the clean-up will be complete by Monday, but they will be around long after.

"Our tracks are staying here. We're not going anywhere. We're going to be here to help the people of this area to get back to normal," said Drew Tessier with Union Pacific. "You know we're committed to it. Our resources are committed to it."

State Police and St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Deputies are strictly enforcing the speed limit on US 190 near the train derailment. In the work zone on the westbound side, the speed limit is 35 MPH and 45 MPH on the eastbound side.

As we first told you last night, what appeared to be haz-mat crews worked through the night at a drainage canal not far from the tracks. That's where a tan substance was seen floating on the surface of the water. Sources tell us that substance is a chemical called dodecanol, an ingredient in detergents. According to the Department of Environmental Quality, there's no chance that chemical could have made it into the drinking water. Now DEQ is asking farmers near the accident site to stop draining their fields.

August is harvest season for rice and to prepare for that the flooded fields have to be drained. While a majority of fields near the derailment site were drained before the accident, now there are several that have to wait, potentially delaying harvest.

"Well, as they flush that water out it's coming down through some of those ditches that still have some of the material present in some of the vegetation," said Paul Miller with DEQ.

Systems are now in place to help catch and filter that substance on the surface of the water. While experts say it's not harmful to humans, it can threaten marine life depending on the concentration of the contamination.

"The materials that are in the ditches, we'll be here until the last of it is cleaned out of those ditches, properly managed and ultimately disposed," said Miller.

The hope is to keep the contamination contained as clean-up continues by asking farmers to stop draining their fields until further notice.

"It's been indicated that there was some water released in the recent days that has assisted some of the contaminate to be pushed further along than they had anticipated," said Vincent Deshotel a county agent with the LSU Ag Center.

Without draining the fields it may mean a late harvest for some of these rice farmers. But after rice season comes crawfish season for many of these fields.

"Depending on the concentrations that are found through water testing, it's unclear right now what kind of effects it may have on irrigation waters as far as crawfish are concerned," said Deshotel.

Union Pacific tells us they are still working to figure out exactly how much of each chemical spilled during the derailment. But crews are continuing to clean, test and monitor the water. For now, DEQ and the Ag Center are advising farmers not to use any of the water in the drainage canals in the Lawtell area. And if you have livestock that are exposed to any of those ditches, they recommend providing another water source until further notice.

The St. Landry Parish and state officials will hold a town hall meeting tomorrow night to address residents' concerns related to Sunday's train derailment.

The meeting will be held at 5 P. M. at the Holy Family Church cafeteria at 283 Thibodeaux Street in Lawtell. Representatives from the St. Landry Parish Government and Sheriff's Office, the Department of Environmental Quality, and Union Pacific will be on hand to answer questions regarding the accident and its aftermath.

For more information, call the St. Landry Parish Government at 337-948-3688.

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office says the Yambilee Building will once again serve as the command post when derailment evacuees are allowed to return home tomorrow morning.

Officials say beginning at 8 A. M., residents may report to the Yambilee building to check in and begin the process of returning home. Once they have signed in, a deputy and a member of the Department of Environmental Quality will escort residents back to their homes. The DEQ member will conduct an air quality test inside the home before residents will be allowed inside.

Deputies say the Yambilee Building will be open until 7 P. M. tomorrow night.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is starting to wrap up its initial response to the chemical spill that occurred after a train derailed outside Lawtell Sunday afternoon even as contaminants are being found in waterways outside the initial wreck area.

DEQ is continuing to do air monitoring of the derail site every two hours, but will turn those duties over to a private vendor tomorrow. So far, the agency says no airborne contaminants have been detected.

According to a media representative with DEQ, the only substances that have leaked into the water from the wreck site are lube oil and dodecanol. The DEQ said a dam at a nearby rice farm was breached Tuesday evening, sending a surge of water toward Bayou Mallet that washed away an underflow dam set up to skim the chemicals from the surface of the water.

It is very unlikely that the chemical will contaminate drinking water, said Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals spokesman Ken Pastorick. The likely hood of impacting it is very unlikely.

"The likelihood of that is almost impossible. You're talking about going through different geo-levels to get to the aquifer. Only a flooding," Pastorick said. DHH has received no complaints about contaminated drinking water near Lawtell. The area receives its drinking water from the Chicot Aquifer.

The major use of dodecanol is to create other chemicals. Those chemicals can end up in detergents, plastics, adhesives or fragrances. They can also be used to change the thickness of liquid products. It is also used in the cosmetic industry as a fragrance, a skin softener and to help skin keep its moisture.

According to its Material Safety Data Sheet, dodecanol is a mild skin irritant. It has about half the toxicity of ethanol, but it is very harmful to marine organisms.

A hard berm has been installed at Highway 190 to block the contaminants, and hardened boom material has been placed at Highway 190 and Bayou Mallet to block the spread of contamination.

According to DEQ, they will begin going to daylight-only operations on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture is contacting farmers nearby to have them drain their paddies to prevent spreading the leaked chemicals.

The two tanker cars filled with vinyl chloride have been moved back onto the tracks and will be moved to Livonia today.

From today's press conference in St. Landry Parish following the train derailment: Starting tomorrow at 8:00 a.m., the people who live in the remaining 46 residences in the evacuation area can go back home. This includes the four businesses that are in the evacuation zone. DEQ says the air quality is fine. In addition, starting at 8:00 a.m. Thursday, Highway 190 east and west will be reopened, but the speed limit will be set at 45 miles per hour. The westbound lane will only have one lane open.

Here's the latest information in regard to Sunday's train derailment in Lawtell:

US 190 remains closed in both directions from LA 35 to LA 104. Troop I is diverting traffic from US 190 West to LA 104, to LA 103, back to US 190. Eastbound traffic is being diverted from US 190 to LA 35, to LA 358, to LA 357, back to US 190.

Nearly half of the people evacuated from their homes were allowed to return on Tuesday after the vinyl chloride in two of the cars was removed. However, there are still about a hundred other residents who are still not being allowed into their homes. The one-mile radius evacuation area is down to a quarter-mile today. Those residents may be allowed to go home tomorrow.

The evacuation order is still in effect in the following areas:900 through 1100 blocks of Acadiana Road, 100 through 200 blocks of Desiree Road, and 10000 through 11000 blocks of HWY 190.

Investigators say crews have replaced about 1800 feet of damaged tracks, and trains are moving through the area. Their speed is limited to 10 miles per hour.

Meanwhile, officials with Union Pacific and the Department of Environmental Quality are monitoring a drainage canal near the derailment site where there appears to be chemical contamination. KATC is told that testing shows it's a chemical called dodecanol which is commonly used in detergents and soaps.

Officials say it's not harmful, and there's no evidence that the substance has made it into the drinking water.

Union Pacific and DEQ will be conducting further testing to make sure everyone is safe.

There are new environmental concerns in St. Landry Parish, two days after that train derailed in Lawtell. In a drainage canal off of Summer and School Roads, about three miles from where the derailment happened, what appeared to be hazmat crews were on scene checking the water.

Union Pacific is not saying much, but a source says it appears there is chemical contamination in that drainage canal. The source with Union Pacific says crews were on scene to check a filtration system they had put in place just a few hours before. That system was put in place after they started receiving complaints of a tan substance floating in the water.

KATC's Erin Steuber was told testing of that substance revealed it's a chemical called dodecanol. It's commonly used in detergents and soaps. The chemical is lighter than water, and that is why the substance is seen floating on the surface. The source with Union Pacific says it's not harmful, but people in Lawtell want to be sure.

Union Pacific, the company that owns the train that derailed, will remain on scene overnight with the Department of Environmental Quality. They'll be monitoring that drainage canal and working to vacuum that chemical off the surface. The substance that is vacuumed off will then be placed in tanks and safely disposed of.

At this point, there's no evidence that the substance has made it into the drinking water, but we reached out to the parish to make sure. Our calls went unanswered.

Union Pacific says they will continue testing the water, and working with DEQ, as cleanup continues.

Lawtell post office box customers can go to the Opelousas Post Office, at 152 Wallior St. and get their mail today. Those customers should go to the Dutch Door of the Post Office, with a valid identification to retrieve their mail. A postal employee is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturday. This is a temporary measure, until the evacuation is lifted in Lawtell due to a train derailment.

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office has suspended escorting residents into their homes.

Early Monday afternoon, residents were allowed to go home for less than 10 minutes to pick up prescription medications, pets, and clothes.

Not going home wasn't an option for the Wiltz family. Like many, they had only minutes to leave home Sunday night.

"I was hoping it wasn't that serious and we wouldn't have to stay overnight," said Paige Wiltz.

They didn't pack clothes, extra baby formula or any other essentials.

"I was hoping it was just a few hours and you could go back home."

The Champagne family took advantage of the sheriff's office escorts on Monday. They left with the clothes on their backs thinking they would be home in a few hours, but after more than 24 hours passed, they had to return home to pick up necessities and their animals.

"We have four dogs, chickens, geese and other animals we needed to feed since no one was home," said Lewis Champagne.

Going home even for a brief moment is also a reminder of how lucky their family is. Their son, Kobe was in the front yard playing as the rail cars fell off the tracks just feet away.

"I heard screeching and I just saw it rolling off the track one at a time," said Kobe Champagne.

Tuesday morning, a press conference is scheduled to update families on the situation and when they possibly will be able to return home.

If you need to file a claim or have questions, you can call Union Pacific at 877-877-2567.

The following statementr regarding the train derailment is from Union Pacific:

Lawtell Accident UpdateTwenty-six rail cars derailed from a train that was travelling on the rail line that parallels Highway 190 near Lawtell, Louisiana, on Sunday, August 4, at approximately 3:27 p.m.Investigators found that three cars were leaking their contents, but crews worked through the night and contained the leaks. The current conditions are not considered harmful to the surrounding community. Real-time air monitoring has been established at the derailment site and throughout the area and has found the air quality to be safe.

Other cars were damaged, but did not leak their contents. We are developing plans to safely transfer the contents out of some of the damaged rail cars.

Response to Evacuation OrderThe State Police called for an evacuation for areas located about a mile and a half around the accident site and we are working with local officials to ensure the public remains safe. We do not yet know how long the evacuation order will remain in effect.

Arrangements have been made for those being evacuated to stay at the Evangeline Downs Hotel and the Comfort Suites in Opelousas, Louisiana. We are doing everything we can to assist these families, who have been very understanding, and we appreciate their patience as we work through this situation. A phone number was set-up for residents impacted by the evacuation, which is 1-877-877-2567 (option one).

Operations UpdateFour of the cars have been re-railed and the other cars have been moved to the side and crews are replacing approximately 1,800 feet of track that were damaged. The cause of this accident is still under investigation.

As of 1 p.m., a staging area has been set up at the Yambilee building on U.S. 190 so residents can be escorted into the evacuation zones to get emergency medication or other supplies from their homes after a 23-car derailment that occurred Sunday afternoon.

According to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, air quality readings at the scene are normal. DEQ will do a walk through to confirm those readings before letting any residents enter the one-mile evacuation area set up around the wrecked train.

According to St. Landry Parish officials, U.S. 190 will be closed for at least two more days near Lawtell as workers try to clean up the wreckage.

Union Pacific representative Mark Davis apologized to the residents directly affected by the incident as well as the residents of the parish as a whole for the inconvenience the wreck has caused.

Officials said U.S. 190 will be closed for at least two more days. So far 138 people are being housed at Evangeline Downs as a result of the incident, with other families in overflow emergency housing at the Comfort Inn in Opelousas, with more people still showing up to receive aid.

According to information released during a press conference after 11 a.m. Monday morning, 1,800 feet of track will have to be repaired before the remaining rail cars can be offloaded. Of the 23 cars that left the tracks, two tanker cars leaked and are almost completely empty at this point.

A Louisiana State Police hazardous material team is on the scene to help evaluate and contain the some of the train's payload of chemicals, which include lube oil, lye and vinyl chloride. Officials said the vinyl chloride is still contained.

If you have been affected by the train derailment, you can call Union-Pacific at 1-877-877-2567. Victims should listen for Option 1.

According to St. Landry Parish officials, U.S. 190 will be closed for at least two more days near Lawtell as workers try to clean up a 23-car derailment that occurred Sunday afternoon.

A Louisiana State Police hazardous material team is on the scene to help evaluate and contain the some of the train's payload of chemicals, which include lube oil and vinyl chloride.

Union Pacific representative Mark Davis apologized to the residents directly affected by the incident as well as the residents of the parish as a whole for the inconvenience the wreck has caused.

Officials said U.S. 190 will be closed for at least two more days. So far 138 people are being housed at Evangeline Downs as a result of the incident, with other families in overflow emergency housing at the Comfort Inn in Opelousas, with more people still showing up to receive aid.

According to information released during a press conference after 11 a.m. Monday morning, 1,800 feet of track will have to be repaired before the remaining rail cars can be offloaded. Of the 23 cars that left the tracks, two tanker cars leaked and are almost completely empty at this point.

At 1 p.m., there will be a staging area set up at the Yambillee building on U.S. 190 so residents can be escorted into the evacuation zones to get emergency medication or other supplies from their homes.

According to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, air quality readings at the scene are normal. DEQ will do a walk through to confirm those readings before letting any residents enter the one-mile evacuation area set up around the wrecked train.

If you have been affected by the train derailment, you can call Union-Pacific at 1-877-877-2567. Victims should listen for Option 1.

According to the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's office, there will be a status update on the Lawtell train derailment starting at 11 a.m.

During the night local government workers, along with Louisiana State Police sealed off ditches from contaminants. Most of the leakage, according to St. Landry Parish President Bill Fontenot's office, is done, but no official pronouncement is expected before the briefing today.

At last report the spilled materials, consistent of lube oil and vinyl chloride, is not vaporizing or getting into the air. As a precaution, the current evacuation will remain in effect until further notice.

Union Pacific Railroad has crews and equipment on site to fix the damaged rail bed and lift the fallen cars back onto the tracks.

US 190 remains closed from LA 35 to LA 104 due to Sunday's train derailment. Westbound traffic is being diverted to LA 104 and LA 103 before reconnecting with US 190. Eastbound traffic is being diverted to LA 35, LA 358, and LA 357 before returning to US 190.

This morning The American Red Cross is working with families after the tragic train accident in Lawtell Sunday night.

As of right now, more than 100 homes have been evacuated and an estimated 250 people displaced because of the Lawtell train derailment.

It happened just off highway 1-90 around 3:30 Sunday afternoon.Officials say 26 of the 76 cars overturned and some carrying flammable materials. Evacuees can expect to be out their homes for several days along with both directions of hwy 190 at Frank Road being closed.

People can receive more information at the Delta Grand Theater. It's a Red Cross staging area, not open as a shelter.People can also contact Union Pacific on their claims hotline 877-877-2567.

US 190 remains closed in both directions at Frank Road (St. Landry Parish), due to a train derailment. Troop I is diverting westbound traffic to LA 104, to LA 3043, to LA 103, to US 167. Eastbound traffic is being diverted to LA 35. The Traffic Management Center will advise of any changes.

Lawtell-Governor Bobby Jindal traveled with Louisiana State Police Superintendent Colonel Mike Edmonson to St. Landry Parish tonight to assess a derailed train in Lawtell and receive a briefing from local officials. The train was traveling from Lake Charles to Livonia when 23 cars derailed.

Governor Jindal said, "Our first responders have done a great job, working several hours in a row to ensure this derailment is handled as safely as possible. Obviously, everybody's first priority is the preservation of life and then secondly, property. The good news is that right now, there are no fatalities and no injuries. Again, I'd like to praise State Police, sheriff's deputies, first responders, DEQ, DOTD several other state agencies and local officials working together and running toward danger instead of away from it.

"We will remain on the ground and provide resources until this site is safe. We will hold those responsible for the event accountable and ensure they make it right for the people in this area."

Governor Jindal also provided an update on the train derailment. Fourteen of the 23 derailed cars contain regulated products. One car is leaking lubricant oil, and a second car is leaking a class 8 substance known as caustic soda. State Police and first responders are working on a plan to address a third car carrying a class 9 hazardous substance called Dodecanol. Workers on the ground are using dams and dikes to contain the leaking substances from these cars to prevent further offsite impact.

In addition, there are two cars containing vinyl chloride monomer, with one suffering serious damage to its outer jacket. Neither is leaking vinyl chloride, and Union Pacific contractors are damming off the area in order to further inspect these cars.

There has been no concern from air monitors, and the derailment is not expected to shut down any rail service because of detours in place. U.S. Highway 190 remains closed in the area, and State Police has evacuated a one-mile area around the derailment, including approximately 101 homes. The evacuation is expected to remain in order for days, not weeks, and the State Police and Red Cross will soon be assisting evacuees with supported entries so they can retrieve pets, medications and other important items.

The American Red Cross is on scene at the Delta Grand (120 S. Market St., Opelousas, LA 70570) to assist evacuees. So far, 35 families have registered with the Red Cross and four have requested shelter. Union Pacific claims representatives are also en route to assist evacuees and cover expenses. Union Pacific has set up a hotline for more information: 877-877-2567.

Gov. Bobby Jindal is on his way to St. Landry Parish because of the train derailment. Here are two new photos from a resident:

UPDATE 8 PMA 1 mile radius evacuation is being enforced by St. Landry Sheriff Deputies and State Police. Evacuees can receive more information at The Delta Grand Theater, 120 S. Market Street, Opelousas. As of right now, approximately 50 homes have been evacuated.

The bad weather delayed state police from evaluating the situation because of the weather, says St. Landry Parish Sheriff spokeswoman Megan Vizena, so it's unclear how long the evacuation will last.

The Red Cross and Union Pacific representatives are stationed at the Delta Grand.

Lawtell Train derailment update: St. Landry Parish deputies are evacuating all residents within a mile radius of the crash site: US 190 at Frank Road. Twenty-six of the 76 cars derailed this afternoon, and some of the derailed cars were carrying flammable materials including lube oil and vinyl chloride.

Evacuation area:

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office has confirmed that they are on scene of a train derailment in Lawtell near HWY 190 and Frank Road. The Sheriff's office tell us, the Union Pacific train derailed just after 3:30pm. The State Police hazmat team has been called to the scene. Injuries are unknown at this time.

There are 26 confirmed cars derailed at this time, one of which is a flammable liquid some of the cars are carrying corrosive material and flammable materials.

"The cars that derailed include lube oil and other products. There was some vinyl chloride on there," Union Pacific spokesperson Raquel Espinoza says.

The train included a total of 76 rail cars and two locomotives. At least one residence has been evacuated and Union Pacific has dispatched an emergency response team.

"We're going to go in there and assess the situation and do what we need to do to put the cars back on the track," Espinoza says. "A lot of times it takes us sometime because we want to make sure we keep the public safe."

US 190 remains closed in both directions at Frank Road (St. Landry Parish), due to a train derailment. Troop I is diverting westbound traffic to LA 104, to LA 3043, to LA 103, to US 167. Eastbound traffic is being diverted to LA 35. The Traffic Management Center will advise of any changes.

If you are traveling west on US 190, St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Deputies are asking that you take Hwy 104 until you get to Hwy 103. Hwy 103 will take you back to Hwy 190.

US 190 is closed to traffic in both directions at Frank Road (St. Landry Parish), due to a train derailment. There are 26 confirmed cars derailed at this time. One of which is a flammable liquid some of the cars are carrying corrosive material and flammable materials.

Traffic is being diverted from US 190 eastbound side to LA 103 and US 190 westbound is being diverted to LA 104 to LA 3043. Troopers have evacuated one residence on the north side of the train tracks.

UPDATE 7 PMA 1 mile radius evacuation is being enforced by St. Landry Sheriff Deputies and State Police. Evacuees can receive more information at The Delta Grand Theater, 120 S. Market Street, Opelousas. As of right now, approximately 50 homes have been evacuated.

The bad weather delayed state police from evaluating the situation because of the weather, says St. Landry Parish Sheriff spokeswoman Megan Vizena, so it's unclear how long the evacuation will last.

The Red Cross and Union Pacific representatives are stationed at the Delta Grand.

Lawtell Train derailment update: St. Landry Parish deputies are evacuating all residents within a mile radius of the crash site: US 190 at Frank Road. Twenty-six of the 76 cars derailed this afternoon, and some of the derailed cars were carrying flammable materials including lube oil and vinyl chloride.

Evacuation area:

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office has confirmed that they are on scene of a train derailment in Lawtell near HWY 190 and Frank Road. The Sheriff's office tell us, the Union Pacific train derailed just after 3:30pm. The State Police hazmat team has been called to the scene. Injuries are unknown at this time.

There are 26 confirmed cars derailed at this time, one of which is a flammable liquid some of the cars are carrying corrosive material and flammable materials.

"The cars that derailed include lube oil and other products. There was some vinyl chloride on there," Union Pacific spokesperson Raquel Espinoza says.

The train included a total of 76 rail cars and two locomotives. At least one residence has been evacuated and Union Pacific has dispatched an emergency response team.

"We're going to go in there and assess the situation and do what we need to do to put the cars back on the track," Espinoza says. "A lot of times it takes us sometime because we want to make sure we keep the public safe."